Cloud 8
Google
We would have loved to give this hotel a 5 stars rating. The hotel is beautiful, clean, and centrally locates in a beautiful bay. Service staff is generally friendly and effective. We received recognition for our IHG Platinum membership with ocean view room upgrade and recognition during breakfast and dinners with preferred seating. However, on the second day of our stay, occurred a very serious incident -- we were being followed by the hotel security staff. Initially, we were just card checked. Card checked in itself, isn't an issue. What followed is serious. After we entered the elevator to go up to our room, a plain cloth security man in gray uniform rushed in to the elevator and started to stare at my wife and I with threatening look. He followed us briefly after we exited the elevator. When we took a elevator later down, the same employee was in the elevator, again, stared at us threateningly. Hotel employees generally avoid using the same elevator as guests if it's not some sort of emergency. So this is highly unusual. It appeared we had been watched and surveilled through security camara, and followed. I reported the incident to front desk and was told someone will call us, but didn't get to speak with anyone, till I raised the incident again during checkout the next day.
As I entered the hotel, I immediately noticed something unusual, the hotel has no security guards in blue uniform, commonly seen in Chinese hotels. But it has too many bellmen all dressed in gray uniform, in the front and lobby area, and only a few actually help customers with luggage and open car doors. Some of the men, well built, just hang around and didn't do much. Among them is an older guy about 50 years old. The same older guy who card checked us, it appeared to me, is the head of security. and he was the one that ordered his security guy to surveil us. But why were we targeted? I don't quite know. One conjecture is that unlike Chinese guests who dressed to impress and carry high price looking handbags, my wife and I dressed casually (short and sandals). We are world travelers, and always carry and dress minimalist. As Chinese Americans, we look like the locals in appearance, yet don't quite look or dressed the same.